The

Thief
On The
BC AD

Center-point
Of History
Everything before it points toward it.

Genesis 3: 15  
And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your seed and her
seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And
you shall bruise him on the heel.
All the prophets foretold of His saving work.

Acts 10: 43
Of Him all the prophets bear witness
that through His name everyone who
believes in Him receives forgiveness of
sins.
After the cross everything points back
to what happened on it.

I Corinthians 15: 3
For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received, that
Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures,
The cross was the ultimate contrast
between good and evil.

Human cruelty as opposed to God’s love

There were three crosses:
On one a man died IN sin.
On one a man died TO sin.
On one a man died FOR sins.
Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to rescue us.

I Peter 2: 24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on
the cross, so that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness; for by His wounds
you were healed.
His sacrifice was not offered in a holy
place but on the cross with evil men.

Criminals
Malefactors
Robbers
He died between convicts guilty of crimes.

Luke 23: 41
And we indeed are suffering justly, for
we are receiving what we deserve for
our deeds; but this man has done
nothing wrong.
With this lesson we will investigate how
and why this happened.

We will see that it is a unique historical

event which will never be repeated.
I. Some observations about
the thief who was saved
on the cross.
Not much personal information is
given about the thief. ( irrelevant )
His name is not given in Scripture.
His crimes are not elaborated.
He is described similarly to the attackers
of “The Good Samaritan.”

Luke 10: 30
Jesus replied and said, “A man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell
among robbers, and they stripped him and
beat him, and went away leaving him half
dead.
The thief had more than a passing
knowledge of Jesus.
Vs. 40 ... He knew that Jesus was
the Son of God.
Vs. 42 ... He knew that Jesus
would have authority
after the cross.
These thieves fulfilled one of the
multiple prophecies about Jesus.
For Example :
Isaiah 53:12
... Because He poured out Himself to
death, And was numbered with the
transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the
sin of many, And interceded for the
transgressors.
II. The thief accepted his
guilt and humbled
himself before Jesus
as the Christ.
 As Jesus hung on the cross
many people were mocking Him.

Mark 15: 29–30

Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him,
wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You
who are going to destroy the temple and
rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and
come down from the cross!”
The religious leaders mocked Him.

Mark 15: 31
In the same way the chief priests also,
along with the scribes, were mocking
Him among themselves and saying,
“He saved others; He cannot save
Himself.
 The soldiers who crucified Him
mocked Him.

Luke 23: 36–37

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming
up to Him, offering Him sour wine 37 and
saying, “If You are the King of the Jews,
save Yourself!”
Vs. 47 ... Innocent
Those being crucified with Him
joined in the mocking.

Matthew 27: 44
The robbers who had been crucified
with Him were also insulting Him with
the same words.
 One of the “criminals” repented
and confessed Jesus as Lord.

Luke 23: 40-41

But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do
you not even fear God, since you are under the same
sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are
suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve
for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
This has always been a requirement
for those who seek forgiveness.

Psalm # 32: 5
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my
iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will
confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.
Acknowledgment of sin is still require.

I John 1: 8-9
If we say that we have no sin, we are
deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
Your sins
helped put Jesus on the cross

... but except for His sacrifice

you’d be there !
 The thief took a public stand in
defense of Jesus.

Many Christians today will not

take a public stand for Jesus.
The thief made a confession of true faith.

Luke 23: 42
And he was saying, “Jesus,
remember me when You come in
Your kingdom!”
Jesus pronounced that the thief
was saved eternally. ( unambiguous )

Luke 23: 43
Jesus answered and said to him,
Truly I say to you, today you shall
be with Me in Paradise.”
III. No one today can be
saved like the thief
was saved.
Today we frequently hear people say,

“I want to be saved like

the thief on the cross.”
assert that the
salvation of the
thief on the cross
proves that
baptism is not
essential to
Mark 1: 4-5
John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country
of Judea was going out to him, and all the
people of Jerusalem; and they were being
baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing
their sins.
John 4: 1, 3
Therefore when the Lord knew that the
Pharisees had heard that Jesus was
making and baptizing more disciples
than John ... 3 He left Judea and
went away again into Galilee.
However, it’s actually irrelevant whether
or not the thief on the cross was baptized

Colossians 2: 14
having canceled out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us, which was
hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross.
The resurrection is an integral
part of the gospel of Christ.

I Corinthians 15: 1-4

Now I make known to you, brethren, the
gospel which I preached to you, which also
you received, in which also you stand, 2  by
which also you are saved, if
I Corinthians 15: 1-4 .... continued
you hold fast the word which I preached to
you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I
delivered to you as of first importance what I
also received, that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He
was buried, and that He was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures,
For one to be saved by the gospel of Christ
he must believe in the resurrection.

Romans 10: 8b-9

—that is, the word of faith which we are
preaching, 9  that if you confess with your
mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved;
All who do not obey the gospel will
be separated from God eternally.
II Thessalonians 1: 7b-8
... when the Lord Jesus will be revealed
from heaven with His mighty angels in
flaming fire, 8  dealing out retribution to
those who do not know God and to those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus.
While on earth Jesus had the
authority to forgive sins and did it.
Luke 5: 20-24
Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins
are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the
Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is
this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can
forgive sins, but God alone?” 22 But
Jesus, aware of their .”
Luke 5: 20-24 ... continued
reasonings, answered and said to them,
“Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23  “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have
been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and
walk’? 24 “But, so that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to
you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and
go home.”
 By saving the thief on the cross,
Jesus did a comparable thing.
Luke 23: 43
And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today
you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

In other words,
“Your sins are
forgiven.”
After the resurrection, forgiveness
is only in obedience to the gospel.

Acts 9 When Jesus met

Saul on the road, he sent
him to a preacher to be
told how to be saved.
That preacher told Saul ( Paul ) :

Acts 22: 16
Now why do you delay? Get up and be
baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on His name.’
Therefore,
today everyone can be saved in
the same way Saul was saved.

It is explained in Romans 6.
Jesus is eager to forgive you just
as He forgave Saul.
Why do you delay;
arise and be baptized
and wash away your
sins calling on the